Our traditional fire pistons offer a unique combination of artistry, craftsmanship and dependable performance that has earned the respect of noted survival experts. These amazing fire starters are crafted in either exotic Coco Bolo wood or lustrous water buffalo horn.
All Wilderness Solutions fire pistons are pre-tested to assure optimum performance and are intended to provide a lifetime of service. We will therefore repair or replace any of our fire pistons that fails to perform for any reason - no questions asked. If you are not satisfied with your purchase for any reason, simply return it in original condition within five days for a full refund.
Fire pistons by Wilderness Solutions are the only compression fire starters endorsed by knowledgeable outdoorsmen such as Ron Hood of Hoods Woods, Mountain Mel Deweese and Allan "Bow" Beauchamp.
*** New!! May 2009 - For O ring models please see the "2nd Generation Fire Pistons" section for full details. After several years in development, we are very excited to offer a revolutionary new design.
*** See our Coco Bolo Custom Model #2 featured in the May '09 issue of Field and Stream Magazine.
TO ORDER: To order any of the following fire pistons please click on the "Visit My Store Button" below, call us at 585 305-3017 or send an Email to discuss your specific order requirements. For your convenience, we accept your personal check, postal money order and all major credit cards. If sending an order by mail, please be sure to include $5.00 for shipping.
Coco Bolo
The bullet-nosed styling of Hunter model fire piston is comfortable in the hand and pocket.
Coco Bolo Wood - $65
Asian Water Buffalo Horn - $85
Buffalo Horn
The Warrior model features a carved piercing and latigo neck thong.
Coco Bolo Wood - $68
Asian Water Buffalo Horn - $87
String Kit
Simply glue the shaft into the handle and wrap the string gasket to complete assembly. The cylinder bore is polished and pre-tested to assure function. The exterior is left rough and can be carved to make a unique personal fire starter. Complete instructions are provided.
Kit - $40
The TinderCarry
The TinderCarry model is an original design by Wilderness Solutions first offered 2001. The TinderCarry features an attached drawstring pouch made of the finest quality buckskin leather. We created the TinderCarry with the idea that keeping our fire making materials together in one attached kit makes good sense. Our customers seem to agree...
The Classic fire piston is tapered to the tip and has a slightly larger piston handle for improved gripping. We find this design especially comfortable to use
Coco Bolo Wood - $70
Asian Water Buffalo Horn - $90
Several customers have inquired about the fire piston's ability to perform in a high humidity environment. The following clip of a wooden traditional fire piston may help answer that question. Because the fire piston creates ignition by means of compression as opposed to friction, a little water is not a problem. The tinder used in this demonstration is wood punk.
Copyright Wilderness Solutions 2007 - All of the designs, accessories, text and photographic presentations that follow are the property of Wilderness Solutions and may not be copied without written permission.
Coco Bolo Wood - $75
Asian Water Buffalo Horn - $95
Fire Piston Blanks
Some of our customers have expressed a desire to make their own from scratch but lack suitable materials. For the ultimate fire piston challenge we'll provide you with components from which to construct your own string gasket fire piston - without a lathe! These are the same raw materials that we use to make the standard firepistons. Includes body/handle blank, shaft blank and gasket string. Requires boring of the body and piston top, shaping and fitting the shaft and assembly. Instructions included.
$23.00
Wood vs Buffalo horn
Customers often ask us about the differences between wood and horn. The wood used to make our fire pistons is among the most beautiful materials in the world. The coloring and grain patterns are unique such than each fire piston has a slightly different appearance. The raw materials come from renewable forests managed by controlled harvesting. Wood fire pistons are slightly lighter in weight than Buffalo Horn. Our Coco Bolo fire pistons are absolutely gorgeous and the most highly figured wood is reserved for the Custom Series.
Buffalo horn is more dense than wood making the pistons slightly heavier. As a natural animal product, the horn material is sometimes subject to imperfections and bruises incurred while growing. Buffalo horn polishes to a very high luster making a beautiful glossy finish and a bore surface that is exceptionally smooth. This allows the piston to travel with less friction. This means the piston can travel slightly faster with less effort, resulting in slightly hotter ignition temperature. Buffalo horn is often contains streaks of white. This is a natural characteristic of the horn and not a defect. We think Buffalo horn makes an excellent fire piston.
Both materials are extremely durable and long lasting. In performance trials we have submerged fire pistons made from both materials under water and frozen them for three weeks in a block of ice with no ill effects. The pistons fired up immediate after being chipped from the ice.
In terms of fire making efficiency a well maintained fire piston in either material should be expected to light on the first or second attempt.
" I am a 16 year old sailor, teepee dweller and primitive skills enthusiast. I was very excited when I learned about fire pistons. I tried making a few myself, all of which failed. Then I discovered Wilderness Solutions and got one of their blanks. With the included instructions, and some e-mailed questions, I made a beautiful coco bolo fire piston. Wilderness Solutions was very helpful, promptly answering my e-mails. When the piston was finished, the smell of smoke filled the house. "
Nick
Nova Scotia
Customer comments - "Thank you for the wonderful fire pistons; they are both amazing and beautiful and I’m sure others who see ours will want one, too. They all worked perfectly, just as instructed"
